It is only a couple of days away from the release of the long-awaited Certificate In Legal Practice (CLP) examination that was held in July 2018.
What is the CLP exam?
Every year, many hopefuls take the CLP exam in hopes of becoming a “qualified person” under the Legal Profession Act 1976 (“LPA”), which is a precursor (for foreign law graduates) to becoming a lawyer in Malaysia without having to go overseas to obtain a qualification.
If you are a CLP candidate this year, you are probably worried about your results.
Here are 5 tips to help you keep your sanity.
#1 Keep busy
Whether it is swamping yourself with work, preparing for a marathon or binging a new series on Netflix, everyone knows that time flies when you’re occupied.
You know the proverb, ‘an idle mind is the devil’s workshop’?
Don’t let the devil set up shop there. Sue him for trespass.
Also, for goodness sake, don’t contribute to the mass hysteria that is the speculation of a leak of the exam results. Go do something unrelated to CLP.
#2 Get enough sleep
If you have been deliberately depriving yourself of proper rest, then this is relevant to you. Otherwise, if you have sleep problems from the sheer anxiety of waiting for the results, then skip this bit.
There are good reasons for getting a full night’s sleep running up to the big day.
For one, you’re going to need enough energy to deal with the outcome. If you pass, then you will be well-rested enough to drive to LPQB to collect your certificate. If you fail one paper, then you have enough energy to hit the ground running in preparation for the upcoming resit on 1 Nov 2018. If you fail more than one paper, then you will need all the help you can get to move on with life.
#3 Breathe
This may seem incredibly intuitive for most people, but many Malaysians are in denial about experiencing depression or anxiety. While some level of anxiety prior to an important event is normal (and beneficial), excessive feelings of anxiety can be debilitating and should not be downplayed.
Even if you don’t have severe levels of anxiety, it helps to use breathing techniques to stay calm during this period. There are many breathing techniques out there. Here are some of them.
My personal favourite is the 4-7-8 technique.
#4 Challenge your own expectations
I know of many people who are focusing on the worst possible scenario i.e. in the event that they do not pass the exam. Some scenarios involve their family members disowning them, or being a greater burden to their family.
Firstly, I want to say that I think that most of these concerns are based in reality. No one should be told that their fears are manufactured or invalid.
Nevertheless, in trying times such as these, it is natural for most people exaggerate the potential impact of a negative outcome. Although there is some use in this, in that it helps us prepare for the worst case scenario, we should challenge our expectations of what will really happen.
Perhaps it will not be as bad as you think.
In any case, whatever the outcome, you will be able to get through it, eventually.
Which brings me to my last point.
#5 Know that there is nothing you can do at this stage and that failing the CLP exam does not spell the end of your life. It may bring about unpleasant consequences, but like many things in life, those too will pass.
Of course, the stakes are different for everyone. Some still have the option of taking the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC), while others may have to seriously consider a career in another profession altogether.
No matter what the outcome is, remember that your self-worth is not tied to a single life event. Even when it came to preparation for the CLP exam, it took a million small acts to get to where you are today. The acceptance of this Wednesday’s outcome is simply one of the acts that you must do. In due time, you will have moved past this.
Legally Malaysians 